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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936241">The Kids Are Alright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallenstar92/pseuds/Fallenstar92'>Fallenstar92</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gallavich: Life, Love, and Parenting [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shameless (US)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Children, Angst, Bipolar Ian Gallagher, EMT Ian Gallagher, Established Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Married Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Parents Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Tattoo Artist Mickey Milkovich</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:07:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallenstar92/pseuds/Fallenstar92</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a parent isn't an easy job, but when you're doing it with the right person? It feels like a more manageable task. Lucky for Mickey and Ian, they have the best partner in one another.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gallavich: Life, Love, and Parenting [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815346</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Whispered Midnight Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Midnight; time for Dylan to have another bottle. Sure, they loved their daughter but-even by infant standards-Dylan is fussy and rather demanding. Possibly the cutest baby to ever exist, but Dylan was in no way shy about wanting undivided attention. "I got the Munchkin. Can you make sure she didn't wake Liam up, this time?" Mickey asked, climbing out of bed to fetch Dylan and a bottle. Ian groaned-still wishing to cling to sleep-before moving to ensure Liam was still fast asleep. Thankfully, Mickey and Ian's eldest child was still out, Ruger curled up as small as the massive dog could get at the child's feet.</p><p>"Liam and Ruger are both out." Ian whispered as he walked back into the master bedroom where Mickey was sitting up in bed with Dylan happily guzzling down her bottle. "You're gonna be a chubby little thing, Miss Dylan." Ian cooed, smiling down at the little brunette nestled safely in his husband's arms.</p><p>"She's already there, man." Mickey laughed, softly. "Least one of these kids looks like we feed 'em."</p><p>"Lip, Carl, and me were all that skinny at his age; think it's just somethin' we got from Monica." Ian commented, playfully nibbling on Dylan's fingers as he sat down beside Mickey. "Lip could eat everything in the fuckin' house and wouldn't gain any weight."</p><p>"I'm just sayin', next time the kid asks what's for dinner at one of those bullshit PTA meetings you force me into and one of those snobby bitches looks at me like I ain't fed him in a month I'm gonna start swingin'." Mickey threatened, though the words held no real venom; Mickey was always more embarrassed than anything if the PTA Moms acted like he and Ian were beneath them, just because they grew up Southside.</p><p>"You hear Papa, Dyl? He's tryin' to look all tough!" Ian exclaimed in a ridiculous voice, smiling as Dylan stared up at him with wide, chocolate brown eyes. "Look at you, pretty girl! You're the prettiest little girl."</p><p>"The fuck is with that voice?" Mickey asked as he began to gently burp their daughter.</p><p>"What, no one in your family ever used Baby Talk with Mandy or Sandy when you were a kid?" Ian asked, feeling like an idiot as soon as the words left his mouth. "Mick, I'm-"</p><p>"Don't worry about it, man." Mickey said, not seeming phased at all. "My mom would pretty much sing everything to Mandy when she was a baby-acted like she was praisin' some fuckin' Angel or some shit-but once she took off... Life was pretty different."</p><p>"I know." Ian said, softly, turning his attention back to the baby as her eyes slowly fluttered and closed. "I'll put her back to bed." Ian said, kissing Mickey before he got out of bed and took Dylan from Mickey's arms, walking slowly and carefully over to the nursery to put her back in her crib for the night. "Sweet dreams, Dyl." Ian whispered, turning on the white noise machine as he made his way back to the bedroom he shared with Mickey to get a little more sleep before her next feeding or diaper change.</p><p>This job was harder than Ian expected, but Ian could have imagined, but Ian loved every cry, every lost night of sleep, and every late night feeding they endured for Dylan Amanda Gallagher.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Midday Breakdown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope everyone has a great holiday season. Much love!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"How's havin' a baby around treating you?" Debbie asked Ian, seemingly trying to keep the topic of conversation off of the fact that she had been sentenced the day before; five years in prison, followed by two years on probation. Though she had-honestly-gotten off rather easy, she had been rather angry that she was going to serve prison time, at all.</p><p>"Good. Liam's awesome with Dylan, she's growin' like a weed, and she's got me and Mickey wrapped around her little finger." Ian said, wondering how his family was doing while he was visiting Debbie.</p><p>"Still not sure why you gave her a boy name." Debbie said, causing Ian to roll his eyes; she had named her daughter after <em>Frank </em>of all people, and she wanted to talk shit about what Mickey and Ian named their daughter.</p><p>"Gender is a Social construct, names shouldn't be defined by gender, and Liam helped us pick it out." Ian sighed, wishing his sister wasn't so bitter about everyone else's decisions when her own had landed her in prison.</p><p>"Really? You're goin' with that whole "Gender is a social construct" thing?" Debbie asked with a laugh. "It's weird; shoulda named her something pretty."</p><p>"You haven't asked <em>anyone </em>about your daughter in months, and you wanna talk shit about mine?" Ian asked, leveling Debbie with a glare. "Franny's fine, by the way; she's doin' great with Lip."</p><p>"Well, she's not <em>my daughter, </em>anymore; you made sure of that." Debbie snapped.</p><p>"What did you want us to do, Debbie? You got lucky that the judge was sympathetic, but you're still in here for five years; Franny woulda ended up in the system if she didn't go to Lip." Ian reminded his younger sister.</p><p>"And if Fiona didn't pay you and Mickey you never would've taken Liam." Debbie said, sneering at Ian in a way that had him wanting nothing more than to punch her in the fucking face.</p><p>"She gave us money to pay his tuition for the year. Don't think you know shit about Me, Mickey, or our relationship with our <em>son. </em>We don't fuckin' pawn him off on anyone sittin' still for longer than two seconds." Ian said, standing up before Debbie could reply. "Liam wanted us to name her Dylan 'cause we didn't wanna name her somethin' that might not fit her, someday, but he thought we should name her after you." With that, Ian was gone, and he didn't plan to return.</p><p> </p><p>"Sshhh, it's okay, Dyl; Daddy's gonna be home, soon." Mickey whispered to his hysterical daughter, hoping he could try to calm the infant down. Dylan loved Mickey-that was pretty fucking clear to anyone who saw the way her eyes followed him, anywhere he was in a room-but she didn't like that Ian was gone when she laid down for her nap and wasn't home before she woke up. "Liam, can you get me Dyl's bottle off the counter?"</p><p>"Why is she crying so much? Dad works and she does okay when she's with you or babysitters." Liam said, handing Mickey the bottle so he could try to feed Dylan, in hopes that it would calm the child.</p><p>"I'm not sure, bud." Mickey sighed, shakily, happy that Dylan finally decided to take her bottle.</p><p>"Hey, Ruger! You bein' good, today?" Ian asked the dog as he walked into the house, stopping briefly to scratch Ruger's squishy face. "Sorry I'm late; Debbie tried to fight the damn guard when he cuffed her to the table." Ian explained, rolling his eyes as he relayed his sister's minor freak out when she had been placed at the table across from Ian.</p><p>"And they still let her visit?" Mickey questioned, wondering how the Hell Debbie kept getting away with shit.</p><p>"She said the cuffs were too tight and it was hurtin' her wrists. One of the guards is either already fuckin' her or just wants to, 'cause she convinced the other guard to loosen the cuffs and let her stay to visit." Ian groaned, flopping onto the couch beside Mickey, quickly pulling Liam to sit with the rest of the family. "Hey, little Princess; you bein' good for Papa and Bubba?" Ian asked the baby, watching her as she guzzled down her bottle, happily.</p><p>"No." Liam said, causing Mickey to almost choke as a laugh escaped his throat. "She cried, the whole time you were gone; even <em>Ruger </em>couldn't make her happy!" Liam exclaimed.</p><p>"You bein' bad, Dyl?" Ian cooed, leaning over to kiss her tiny nose.</p><p>"She's fuckin' spoiled as shit." Mickey laughed.</p><p>"Hey, we're allowed to spoil our kids; no one did it for us." Ian said with a soft, loving smile as Ruger laid at their feet, clearly wishing to be part of the family's little moment.</p><p>"At least I don't cry." Liam said, sticking his tongue out at Ian.</p><p>"No, you're just a little smart ass." Ian jokingly replied, ruffling Liam's hair as the boy rested against his side, watching Dylan as she finished eating, burped, and began to play with Ian and Mickey's fingers as if she hadn't been a complete mess all afternoon.</p><p>"How was she?" Mickey asked, allowing Dylan to gum his fingers, knowing her teething was starting to bother her.</p><p>"She was bein' an asshole, but what else is new?" Ian said, keeping his eyes focused on his children. "Started talkin' shit about us adoptin' Liam and actin' like what we named Dylan was fuckin' insulting to her, personally." Ian finally said, trying not to let his anger show.</p><p>"She said you only adopted me because of money, once." Liam admitted, causing Ian and Mickey to feel physically sick.</p><p>"Hey," Mickey said, causing Liam to look him in the eyes. "We adopted you 'cause we love you and you're our kid. Don't listen to Debbie's bullshit, got me?" Ian nodded in agreement, knowing that Liam would see that Mickey was being honest with him. "You ever forget that? Come talk to me or your Dad."</p><p>"Okay." Liam said, smiling softly as he turned his attention back to Dylan. He knew he was loved-that his fathers both loved him just as much as they loved his sister-and even if Debbie's words had hurt, he knew he could trust them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know the Holidays are a hard time for most of us, so I'm going to attempt to post at least once a week with a lot of fluffy fics to try and brighten some moods. Stay safe and much love, beauties!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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